Friday The 13th

So I had just posted a music video from the Fray when I suddenly realised. It’s Friday the 13th. Oooo.

For those who read Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code or those who watched it, you would remember that it was that Friday the 13th was the day that the templars were killed by the church. So, in curiousity, I did my own research and to my surprise, I found out some stuff I never knew existed.

Fear for Friday the 13th is called Paraskevidekatriaphobics. It’s actually a real bonafide phobia. I wonder if we can push for ‘fear of stingy bosses’. So, you can go to your boss and say, “Hey, I can’t work this Friday. Here’s my medical condition.” Ain’t that weird?

So anyways, what I found out is that Friday the 13th is considered unlucky not because it’s Friday the 13th but because it’s Friday and it happens to be dated 13 which in many cultures is unlucky. Guilty by association?

From what I read, Friday, in Christianity, is considered not unlucky but filled with bad events throughout time. Jesus was crusified on a Friday and it is believed that Eve tempted Adam with the apple on a Friday. During Pagan Rome, Friday was execution day later named Hangman’s Day in Britain. So, I guess I can see the fear of Fridays building during that time.

Coming to 13, besides the Chinese and Egyptians who seem to like the number, everyone else seems to be wary of it. In Turkey, it is so taboo that there is no 13th avenue or street numbering and no 13th floors. It’s always been associated with witches and stuff like that. But, 1 site I read mentioned that since man had 10 fingers and feet were considered 2 units, the ability to count only until 12 made people suspicious of the number 13. This sounds as weird as paraskevidekatriaphobics.

Superstitions, in my view, are born when man can’t comprehend something especially in the olden times. Superstition that seemed weird are still called supersition, milder ones are called beliefs and acceptable superstition are now what we call religion.